What Should You Do If Your Dog ate Adderall?
Before anything else, you should immediately contact your nearest veterinarian or veterinary hospital for immediate assistance.
One of the common mistakes and or myths for pet owners is to have their dogs take some medicines that are solely made for humans; one of which is Adderall.
Adderall intake for dogs can be harmful, in fact, it can be lethal when consumed in excess dosage. It can also be troublesome for your end since it can result in your dog’s hyperactivity.
Let’s get to know more of the things that you should do when your dog has eaten Adderall by starting with the basics.
What is Adderall?
Adderall is a prescription medication that contains amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, which are classified as stimulants. This type of drug is usually prescribed for individuals who have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy or people who have daytime drowsiness.
Adderall is available in two forms such as Adderall XR extended-release oral capsule and Adderall oral tablet. Both work through changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain, specifically increasing the activity of the hormones norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain, which improves attention and changes behavior.
What is Adderall Toxicity?
Adderall toxicity in dogs occurs if they happen to take this medication, especially in excessive dosage. If you have seen your dog ingesting Adderall, make sure to check it to a diagnostic lab to have it checked because it can negatively affect its nervous system, respiratory, gastrointestinal tract, and cardiovascular system; hence it is considered lethal to them.
It can cause over-stimulation in the dog’s body since it is easily absorbed. The prognosis will depend on the amount of intake and your dog’s response to treatments like decontamination.
What Happens If a Dog Eats Adderall?
As mentioned above, it can overstimulate your dog’s body systems including the nervous system, respiratory, gastrointestinal tract, and cardiovascular system. This drug has the same effect as humans – speeds up the brain’s capacity in forcing it to stay focused on anything.
If your dog happens to ingest too much Adderall, it will immediately show clinical signs such as aggressiveness, vomiting, diarrhea, and more depending on how much is consumed. Furthermore, the Adderall XR extended-release oral capsule has a slower effect if mistakenly ingested in a smaller dosage. Again, the symptoms may vary but do not wait for your pet to suffer before you take him to a veterinarian.
And since it belongs to the group of amphetamines, it is considered illegal drug like crystal methamphetamine, especially if not prescribed by a doctor.
How to Tell if My Dog Ate My Adderall? (clinical Signs/symptoms)
Common symptoms of Adderall toxicity will manifest as soon as 15 minutes from intake. One of its common signs is the dog’s hyperactivity, restlessness or repeatedly moving its body parts beyond normal. Other symptoms from Adderall toxicity may include:
- Dilated pupils
- Muscle tremors
- High blood pressure
- Increase in heart rate
- irritability
- Restlessness
- Drooling
- Diarrhea
- Panting or loud breathing
- Aggressive behavior
- Shaking of the head or seizures
- Agitation
- Sedation
When planning to consult a vet, never forget to bring the drug along with you to have them checked further. Also, having the drug along with you will make the doctor’s job easy since it can directly identify the dosage and components. Veterinarians usually do an immediate complete medical examination of your pet to show if it has positive symptoms of Adderal toxicity.
Once it is confirmed, your dog will have to undergo decontamination if it has not been too long since the ingestion, or the vet may recommend induced vomiting. Another option that is usually recommended is to administer activated carbon to prevent the drug from spreading and affecting the dog’s body.
IV fluids are normally injected into the dog in order to balance the level of electrolytes, keep hydrated, and support the kidneys.
How much Adderall is toxic to dogs?
Veterinarians have noted that lethal oral dose for dogs ranges from 10 mg to 23 mg per kilogram of body weight.
Furthermore, according to Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion, Small Animal Toxicology and Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook, 6th ed. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2008, these are the dog’s amphetamines toxic consumption:
- Extra Small (1-10lbs.) should be > 4.5 mg
- Small (11 – 25 lbs.) should be > 50 mg
- Medium (26 – 40 lbs.) should be > 118 mg
- Large (41 – 70 lbs.) should be > 186 mg
- X-Large (71 – 90 lbs.) should be > 323 mg
- XX-Large (91 – 110 lbs.) should be > 414 mg
What should you do if your dog eats Adderall?
You should remove the pill(s) as soon as you can to prevent further intoxication of your dog. Next, look at the packaging or bottle and determine the dosage of each pill that your dog may have accidentally swallowed. The next important thing that you can do is to call your nearest veterinarian or veterinary clinic to clinically check your dog and administer tests of toxicity; they definitely know how to treat it better than you do.
Furthermore, if your dog has taken Adderall for a while already and has been showing signs of symptoms, you should immediately bring your buddy to the vet and bring with you the pill that might cause the occurrence of such symptoms. You should be able to answer the following questions for immediate diagnosis and treatment:
- What are the symptoms shown recently?
- How many pills have eaten?
- How long ago did your dog swallow the pill(s)?
- How old is your dog?
- How much does it weigh?
Know that if your dog is left untreated, it could possibly die. Whatever is the doctor’s recommended treatment, you should follow it put your pet out of danger.
If treated immediately, it could recover within 24 hours. Others, especially with severe symptoms, have to stay in a veterinary clinic or hospital for days.
How to Induce Vomiting in Your Dog For Adderall
Take note that induced vomiting should be done by health professionals and not by anyone. In some cases, if not done properly, it can hurt your dog. However, if the situation calls for your action, here”s what you should do:
1. Get a shot glass, 2 teaspoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10lbs of body weight.
2. Seal the hydrogen peroxide to keep its efficacy.
3. Mix it with milk or any of your dog’s favorite drinks to make it easier for them to swallow.
4. Hold your dog between your legs, hold its head, and make it face the opposite direction, especially if it is aggressive. Better to get help from someone in the house.
5. Push the chin up and make them face the ceiling.
6. Pour the shot glass of hydrogen peroxide into the mouth quickly.
7. Expect your dog to vomit within several minutes. When they do, check the Adderall pills if it was vomited. If not, immediately go to your nearest veterinarian.
8. Make your dog roam around your place to stimulate the medication. And make sure to keep your Adderall out of its reach.
How To Prevent Your Dog From Eating Adderall Again
The alluring smell of Adderall is what mostly causes interest in the dog to eat it. All thanks to trusted veterinarians for preventing deaths and treating our buddies well despite the intoxication. Hence, all hopes for never experiencing it again! There are a few ways that you can prevent your dog from eating such harmful drugs again.
The first is to never believe again in the myth that says you should treat your dog’s hyperactivity by giving Adderall if you do not want to harm your dog again. If you want your dog’s hyperactivity to lessen, train it so well that it will eventually respond to your command such as, “sit down”, “behave”, “sit”, or “stay still”. It is better to train them when younger to easily develop the character of submission and to make them used to obey you as their master and owner.
Next is to never put any drug within its reach again. Keep it as high as possible, sealed in a container in a room where it cannot get in easily. Remember that a dog’s smelling skills are higher than you have. Take any medicines away from the floor or tables. You can keep it in the pantry, drawers, cabinets, and in a secured room.
Take Away
Restless or overactive dogs are common for some breeds, especially in their puppy stage. Common dog breeds that have this behavioral problem are Belgian Malinois, Dalmatians, Russell Terriers, Siberian Husky, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and more.
Moreover, do not panic if they show signs of restlessness because it may be due to several factors like separation anxiety, phobias and fears, fleas and ticks, and tapeworms.
But if it has severe restlessness or has been hyperactive for several days without you having any idea why it is best to consult a veterinarian to have your dog’s best prescription.
Julia is an animal volunteer and a Vet Tech she helps us with research and product evaluation. She also has worked in technical roles that help her sift through the marketing smoke screen. She is passionate about all animals and often helps out at shelters.